“I told you, Eliza,” I hear Kendrick hiss on the other side of the door, “I’m going to answer it. A knock like that means an emergency or trouble.”
“Who could it really be?” Eliza sasses him right back before she pulls open the door.
I’m met with the sight of Eliza with her clothes slightly askew and her hair all mussed up. But that’s not why I fight a smile. It’s Kendrick standing behind her glaring at me.
He only has a towel wrapped around his waist which he’s gripping so hard his knuckles are turning white. “This better be good, Ford,” the threat is clear in Kendrick’s voice.
I hold up my hands and grimace, “Sorry,”
He grumbles as he turns away from the door, but I can still hear him, “Not as sorry as you’re going to be if this isn’t serious. I almost had her in the shower with me.”
“It’s about Arden if it makes you feel any better,” I yell after him.
Eliza gasps, grips my shirt, and yanks me into her house with a surprising amount of strength.
“Damn it,” Kendrick curses under his breath and I catch a glimpse of his retreating back.
“You better spill.”
I must be in shock because the way she’s manhandling me just isn’t right. She’s pushed me down into a very comfortable couch which I’m a little envious of every time I come over.
When I look up, Eliza is studying me. She sighs and, “I can’t decide if this is a hot chocolate type of story or whiskey.”
“I’d love a drink,” I groan as I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees.
“Okay,” Eliza’s voice is filled with concern.
Before she can take a step, my head shoots up and I shout, “No!” She freezes and I swear I hear Kendrick shout something from deeper in the house. I wave my hands around, “Sorry. I just, I might have to drive later. I can’t drink anything.”
“Hot cocoa it is,” Eliza nods and basically floats into the kitchen.
I hear her movements, but it’s white noise as I stare at the ground trying to understand how the two women I’ve fallen in love with are the same woman. While I’m relieved, I’m also, not.
I was just some hobby or something? I don’t know, like a strange pen pal program?
When I go to run my fingers through my hair, I realize I’ve left my hat on. After I pull it off, I rest it on my knee. It only takes a few moments before it’s bouncing right along with that knee.
Kendrick stalks into the room with damp hair and a scowl on his face at the same time Eliza breezes in with three mugs of hot cocoa. He quickly takes two from her and kisses her temple before nodding toward her favorite seat in the house.
His eyes are sharp as he hands me one of the mugs. I’m glad I saw Eliza carry them out or else I’d be concerned about him spitting in mine.
As it is, I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Ford,” Eliza pulls my attention toward her, “what is this about Arden?”
There’s genuine concern in her voice and I soften. She loves my woman. She’s been there for her; they’ve been there for each other.
“We’ve gone on two friend dates,” the words are a little rough and I take a sip of the cocoa, the warmth of it seeping into my hands where I’m holding the mug.
“Friend dates?” Eliza’s question is full of confusion and I can’t blame her.
“Rosalie is on vacation with the baby arriving and I’ve been in town more. I saw her a lot,” I don’t mention how there might have been some intention on my part. “I asked her out and she didn’t answer me the first time. Just pretended like I hadn’t said it.”
Eliza’s eyebrows pull together before her face smooths out as her eyes fill with sadness. Sadness. It tugs at me.
Arden wrote to me about sadness once. At least, I think it was Arden.
“I don’t know why it was different the day I asked her to go to a matinee at the theater,” the words slip past my lips. “She said yes, but only if it was a friend date.”
